Seating device with storage

ABSTRACT

A seat storage assembly includes a seating unit to support a user. The seat storage assembly includes a storage unit including a storage space, and a rail system that mounts to the storage unit. The rail system includes a first rail having a first sliding slot, and a second rail having a second sliding slot and extending in parallel with the first rail.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit thereof from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/119,553 filed on Feb. 23, 2015,titled “Seat On Storage Trunk,” the entirety of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a seating device for outdoorand/or recreational activities, and more specifically it relates to aseating device having a storage space.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Seating devices are used in outdoor/recreational activities, such as,for example, ice fishing, open water fishing, hunting, and the like.Similar to conventional chairs, those devices include a horizontal panelcombined with a frame or legs to position the horizontal panel to acomfortable seating height. Those seating devices, however, are notequipped with many useful functionalities for outdoor activities, exceptfor a few basic features such as foldability. Accordingly, there existsan unfulfilled need for a seating device that may provide various usefulfeatures for outdoor/recreational activities.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a seat storage assemblyincluding a seating unit to support a user. The seat storage assemblyincludes a storage unit including a storage space, and a rail systemthat mounts to the storage unit. The rail system includes a first railhaving a first sliding slot, and a second rail having a second slidingslot and extending in parallel with the first rail.

The storage unit may include a main body surrounding the storage spaceand have an opening exposing the storage space, and a lid covering theopening of the main body. The rail system may be affixed to an uppersurface of the lid.

The seat storage assembly may further include a base that engages therail system and supports the seating unit. The base may include a lowerpanel movable along the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot,an upper panel affixed to the seating unit; and a neck coupled betweenthe lower panel and the upper panel. The neck may allow the upper panelto rotate independently from an orientation of the lower panel.

Each of the first rail and the second rail may include a bottom platethat attaches to the storage unit, a center frame having a head portionand a leg portion extending laterally from a sidewall of the headportion, and a top plate that attaches to the bottom plate with the legportion of the center frame sandwiched therebetween. The bottom plateand the top plate may be wider than the leg portion of the center frameand in contact with the sidewall of the head portion.

Each of the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot may belocated laterally adjacent to the leg portion of the center frame andbetween the bottom plate and the top plate.

The seating unit may include a horizontal portion mounted on the upperpanel of the base and vertically supporting a user in a seatingposition, and a vertical portion connected to the horizontal portion andlaterally supporting a back of the user in the seating position.

The seating unit may further include a reinforcement pattern formed on abottom surface of the horizontal portion. The upper panel of the basemay attach to the reinforcement pattern.

The seating unit may be foldable. The seating unit may include a pivotjoint coupled between the horizontal portion and the vertical portion.The base may be height-adjustable.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a seat storage assemblyincludes a storage unit including a storage space for holding an item, arail system that attaches to the storage unit, and a seating unit thatattaches to the rail system.

The seat storage assembly may further include a base that attaches tothe rail system. The base may include a lower panel coupled to the railsystem, an upper panel coupled to the seating unit, and a neck coupledbetween the lower panel and the upper panel. The neck may allow theupper panel to move independently from an orientation of the lowerpanel.

The rail system may include a first rail having a first sliding slot,and a second rail having a second sliding slot and extending in parallelwith the first rail.

The seating unit may be foldable. The base may be height-adjustable.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a seat storageassembly includes a storage unit that has a storage space and a lid, arail system that attaches to the lid of the storage unit and includes arail having a sliding slot, and a base that engages the rail system.

The rail may attach to the lid along a longitudinal direction of thestorage unit.

The seat storage assembly may further include a seating unit thatattaches to the base. The seating unit may include a first portion thatsupports the user in a first direction in the seating position, and asecond portion that supports a back of the user in a second direction inthe seating position.

The base may be height-adjustable. The rail system may include anotherrail that engages the base.

Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure maybe set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detaileddescription, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood thatboth the foregoing summary of the disclosure and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and intended to provide further explanationwithout limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure andtogether with the detailed description serve to explain the principlesof the disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of thedisclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamentalunderstanding of the disclosure and the various ways in which it may bepracticed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a seat storageassembly, which is constructed according to the principles of thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the seat storage assemblywithout a seating unit.

FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an example of a rail ofthe seat storage assembly.

FIG. 4A shows an exploded side perspective view of a storage unit and arail system of the seat storage assembly.

FIG. 4B shows an enlarged exploded side perspective view of a portion ofthe storage unit and rail system shown in FIG. 4A, indicated by circleA.

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the rail and a swivelbase of the seat storage assembly.

FIG. 6A shows a bottom perspective view of a seating unit and the swivelbase of the seat storage assembly.

FIG. 6B shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of a portion of theseat storage assembly shown in FIG. 6A, indicated by circle B.

FIG. 7A shows a side perspective view of the storage unit and theseating unit of the seat storage assembly.

FIG. 7B shows an enlarged side perspective view of a portion of the seatstorage assembly shown in FIG. 7A, indicated by circle C.

FIG. 8A shows a side view of the swivel base adjusted to have a minimumheight.

FIG. 8B shows another side view of the swivel base adjusted to have amaximum height.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure and the various features and advantageous details thereofare explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodimentsand examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and detailed in the following description. It should be notedthat the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawnto scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with otherembodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if notexplicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components andprocessing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscurethe embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are intendedmerely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosuremay be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art topractice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examplesand embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope ofthe disclosure. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numeralsrepresent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The terms “including,” “comprising” and variations thereof, as used inthis disclosure, mean “including, but not limited to,” unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the,” as used in this disclosure, means “oneor more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be incontinuous communication with each other, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with eachother may communicate directly or indirectly through one or moreintermediaries.

Although process steps, method steps, or the like, may be described in asequential order, such processes and methods may be configured to workin alternate orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps thatmay be described does not necessarily indicate a requirement that thesteps be performed in that order. The steps of the processes or methodsdescribed herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, somesteps may be performed simultaneously.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readilyapparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of asingle device or article. Similarly, where more than one device orarticle is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a singledevice or article may be used in place of the more than one device orarticle. The functionality or the features of a device may bealternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are notexplicitly described as having such functionality or features.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a seat storage assembly10, which is constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.The assembly 10 may include a seating unit 100, a storage unit 200, andthe like. The seating unit 100 may be slidingly movable and rotatablewith respect to the storage unit 200. The seating unit 100 may beconfigured to pivot with respect to the storage unit 200. Also, theassembly 10 may be configured such that a height of the seating unit 100may be adjusted.

The seating unit 100 may include a first seat portion 110, a second seatportion 120, and the like. The first seat portion 110 may besubstantially horizontal and constructed to vertically support a user ina seating position. The second seat portion 120 may be substantiallyvertical and constructed to horizontally support a back of the user inthe seating position. The seating unit 110 may support the user in anorthopnea position, in a fowler position, or the like.

The seating unit 100 may be foldable, which may be useful especiallywhen being transported or stored. For example, the first seat portion110 and the second seat portion 120 may be connected via pivot joints140A, 140B. When pushed from behind (or pulled from the front), thesecond portion 120 may pivotally move in a direction shown by arrow Xand may rest over the first seating portion 110. Optionally, the seatingunit 100 may include a spring mechanism (not shown) that may be biasedto fold the second seat portion 120 atop the first seat portion 110, orto unfold the second seat portion 120 into a seating configuration asseen in FIG. 1.

The seating unit 100 may include a plurality of openings forventilation, draining liquid, and the like. For example, a large opening130 may be formed between the first seat portion 110 and the second seatportion 120 to cool the user's lower back. The first seat portion 110may include a plurality of openings 116 to cool the user's lower body.

The storage unit 200 may include a main body 210, a lid 220 and thelike. The main body 210 may have a bottom wall and a plurality ofsidewalls that form an inner storage space for holding one or moreitems. An opening exposing the inner storage space may be formed at anupper portion of the main body 210, which may be covered by the lid 220.The lid 220 may be removably attached to the main body 210. The lid 220may be pivotally or slidingly attached to the main body 210, so as toallow access to the inner storage by sliding or pivoting the lid 220with respect to the main body 210. The main body 210 may include one ormore fasteners 230 to keep the storage unit 200 closed.

FIG. 2 shows the assembly 10 without the seating unit 100. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly 10 may include a rail system 300, a swivelbase 400, and the like, which may allow the seating unit 100 toslidingly move and swivel over the storage unit 200. The rail system 300may include a pair of rails 300A, 300B, which may be formed on orattached to an upper surface of the lid 220 and extend in parallel alonga longitudinal (or transverse) direction of the storage unit 200. Therail system 300 may include a single rail (not shown) such as, forexample, an I-beam shaped rail (not shown). The rail system 300 mayinclude three or more rails (not shown). The swivel base 400 mayslidingly engage the rail system 300. The swivel base 400 may also beconnected to and support the seating unit 100, which may allow theseating unit 100 to swivel. In addition, the swivel base 400 may beheight-adjustable.

The storage unit 200 and rail system 300 may be used with one or moreaccessories instead of or in addition to the seating unit 100. Forinstance, a rod holder (not shown) for holding surf-fishing rods may becoupled to the rail system 300. The rod holder (not shown) may becoupled simultaneously with the seating unit 100, or by itself.

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of the rail 300A. The rail 300A mayinclude a base plate 310, a center frame 320, a top plate 330, and/orthe like. The base plate 310, center frame 320 and top plate 330 may beassembled and affixed to each other to form the rail 300A.Alternatively, the base plate 310, center frame 320 and top plate 330may be formed as a single structure to form the rail 300A. The baseplate 310, center frame 320 and top plate 330 may include materials thatprovide optimal strength, weight, and friction properties. For instance,the base plate 310 may include a material such as, for example, adurable lightweight polymer, or the like, that provides minimal frictionalong the surface while simultaneously; the center frame 320 may includea material such as, for example, steel, aluminum, or the like, thatprovides optimal strength and durability; and, the top plate 330 mayinclude a material similar to that provided in the base plate 310 and/orthe center frame 320, or a material that is different, as understood bythose skilled in the art.

The center frame 320 may have a head portion 322 and a neck portion 324.The neck portion 324 may extend horizontally from a middle portion of asidewall 326 of the head portion 322. The head portion 322 may have asubstantially rectangular shape, as seen in FIG. 3. The head portion 322may have any other shape, such as, for example, a circle, an ellipse, asemi-circle, or the like.

The rail 300A may be formed by, for example, placing the base plate 310on the upper surface of the lid 220, placing the center frame 320 on theupper surface of the lid 220 and the upper surface of the base plate310, and placing the top plate 330 on the upper surface of the centerframe 320. In this regard, a surface of the head portion 322 may beplaced atop of the lid 220 and a surface of the neck portion 324 may beplaced on the base plate 310. The top plate 330 may be placed on theneck portion 324 such that the neck portion 324 of the center frame 320is sandwiched between the base plate 310 and top plate 330 to form asliding slot 305.

The base plate 310, the center frame 320 and the top plate 330 may havesubstantially the same length, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The base plate310 and the top plate 330 may, however, be wider than the neck portion324 of the center frame 320. The base plate 310 and top plate 330 may bein contact with the sidewall 326 of the head portion 322. The smallerwidth of the neck portion 324 may create the sliding slot 305 betweenthe base plate 310 and the top plate 330. The base plate 310, neckportion 324 and top plate 330 may include a plurality of openings thatmay be aligned and are configured to receive a plurality ofcorresponding fasteners to fasten and secure the rail 300A to the lid220. The rail 300B may be constructed in a similar but symmetricalmanner on the lid 220.

FIG. 4A shows an exploded perspective view of the storage unit 200 andthe rail system 300. FIG. 4B shows an enlarged perspective view of aportion of the storage unit 200 and the rail system 300 shown in FIG.4A, indicated by a circle A. The rail 300A may be affixed to the lid 220using fasteners such as, for example, bolts 340, washers 342, nuts 344,and/or the like. As noted earlier, the base plate 310 may include aplurality of openings 312. The lid 220 may also include a plurality ofopenings 222, which may be formed to correspond to the openings 312 ofthe base plate 310. Similarly, the center frame 320 and the top plate330 may also include a plurality of openings (not shown), which may beformed to correspond to the openings 222 and openings 312. The baseplate 310 may be affixed to the lid 220 using fasteners such as, forexample, screws 314 or the like, such that the openings 312 are alignedwith the openings 222 of the lid 220. The center frame 320 and the topplate 330 may then be mounted on the base plate 310, and the bolts 340,the washers 342, the nuts 344, and/or the like, may be used to affix theentire assembly of the rail 300A to the lid 220, as shown in FIGS. 4Aand 4B. The rail 300B may also be affixed to the lid 220 in a similarmanner.

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross sectional view of the swivel base 400 in aslidingly engaged position with respect to the rail 300A. The swivelbase 400 may include a bottom panel 410, a top panel 420, and a swivelneck 430. The swivel neck 430 may include a bottom interface layer 432and a top interface layer 434.

The bottom interface layer 432 may be affixed to the bottom panel 410,and the top interface layer 434 may be affixed to the top panel 420. Thebottom panel 410 may slidingly engage the rails 300A, 300B. For example,an edge portion 415 of the bottom panel 410 may be slidingly placed inthe sliding slot 305. The edge portion 415 may be mounted on the baseplate 310 such that the swivel base 400 does not contact the lid 220.The top plate 330 may cover the edge portion 415 to prevent the swivelbase 400 from departing from the rail 300A. The neck portion 324 of thecenter frame 320 may be slightly thicker than the edge portion 415 ofthe bottom panel 410, which may provide a clearance for the bottom panel410 to slidingly move along the sliding slot 305. The bottom panel 410and the rail 300B may also be engaged in a similar manner.

The top panel 420 may be affixed to a bottom surface of the first seatportion 110 of the seating unit 100. The swivel neck 430 may allow thetop panel 420 to freely swivel regardless of an orientation of thebottom panel 410. The swivel neck 430 may be configured to pivot,thereby allowing the top panel 420 to pivot with respect to the bottompanel 410. Hence, the user sitting on the assembly 10 may slidingly movethe seating unit 100 along the rail system 300 while rotating theseating unit 100 to face any direction.

FIG. 6A shows a bottom perspective view of the seating unit 100 and theswivel base 400. FIG. 6B shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of aportion of the seating unit 100 and the swivel base 400 shown in FIG.6A, indicated by circle B.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B concurrently, the top panel 420 of theswivel base 400 may include a plurality of openings 422, which may beformed at corners of the top panel 420. The bottom panel 410 may alsohave a plurality of openings 412 at corners thereof. The top panel 420and bottom panel 410 may be configured to be interchangeable. Theseating unit 100 may include a reinforcement pattern 112, which may beformed on the first seat portion 110, such as, for example, on a bottomsurface. The reinforcement pattern 112 may include a plurality ofreceivers 114, which may be located corresponding to the openings 422 ofthe top panel 420, respectively. The top panel 420 of the swivel base400 may be affixed to the bottom surface of the first seat portion 110using fasteners such as, for example, bolts 116, washers 118, and/or thelike. The receivers 114 may be configured receive the fasteners so as tosecure the top panel 420 to the first seat portion 110.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of the assembly 10; and FIG. 7B showsan enlarged perspective view of a portion of the assembly 10 shown inFIG. 7A, indicated by circle C. Referring to FIGS. 7A, 7B concurrently,the seating unit 100 may be separated from the storage unit 200 foreasier transportation and storage. As noted above with reference to FIG.1, the seating unit 100 may be configured to fold. The seating unit 100may be attached to the storage unit 200 by pushing the bottom panel 410of the swivel base 400 into the sliding slots 305 (shown in FIGS. 3 and5) of the rails 300A, 300B. The sliding slots 305 maybe lubricated.Alternatively or additionally, rolling bearings (not shown), such as,for example, balls, shafts, rods, or the like, may be formed in thesliding slots 305 to reduce a coefficient of kinetic (and/or static)friction between the bottom panel 410 slide and the surface of the baseplate 310 (or top plate 330). The assembly 10 may include one or morestops (not shown), which may engage ends of the rails 300A, 300B toprevent the swivel base 400 from escaping from the rail system 300. Theassembly 10 may include a position locking mechanism (not shown) thatmay be configured to lock the swivel base 400 with respect to the railsystem 300.

The locking mechanism may include, for example, a pin (not shown) thatmay be placed through one or more openings in the top plate 330 into thesliding slot 305 in corresponding one or more predetermined locations.The pin may be configured to engage a corresponding opening (not shown)on the portion of the swivel base 400 in the sliding slot 305, therebysecuring the swivel base 400 in one or more predetermined locations inthe rail system 300. The locking mechanism may include other knownmethodologies for securing an article such as a portion of the bottomplate 410 in guide channels similar to the sliding slot 305.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show side views of the swivel base 400 in differentheights. As mentioned above, the swivel base 400 may beheight-adjustable. More specifically, the swivel base 400 may beconstructed with conventional screw and nut mechanism (not shown), whichmay allow the seating unit 100 to be raised by rotating the seating unit100 in a counter-clockwise direction and to be lowered by rotating theseating unit 100 in a clockwise direction. Alternatively, the swivelbase 400 may include a hydraulic pump (not shown), which may be actuatedby pushing a lever, a foot pedal or the like. FIG. 8A shows the swivelneck 430 adjusted to have a minimum height. FIG. 8B shows the swivelneck 430 adjusted to have a maximum height. As such, the swivel base 400may allow the user to raise or lower a height of the seating unit 100for a more comfortable seating position.

While the disclosure has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosurecan be practiced with modifications in the spirit and scope of theappended claim, drawings and attachment. The examples provided hereinare merely illustrative and are not meant to be an exhaustive list ofall possible designs, embodiments, applications or modifications of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seat storage assembly that includes a seatingunit to support a user, the seat storage assembly comprising: a storageunit comprising a storage space; and a rail system that mounts to thestorage unit, the rail system comprising: a first rail having a firstsliding slot; and a second rail having a second sliding slot andextending in parallel with the first rail.
 2. The seat storage assemblyof claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises: a main body surroundingthe storage space and have an opening exposing the storage space; and alid covering the opening of the main body, wherein the rail system isaffixed to an upper surface of the lid.
 3. The seat storage assembly ofclaim 1, further comprising a base that engages the rail system andsupports the seating unit, wherein the base comprises: a lower panelmovable along the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot; anupper panel affixed to the seating unit; and a neck coupled between thelower panel and the upper panel, wherein the neck allows the upper panelto rotate independently from an orientation of the lower panel.
 4. Theseat storage assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first rail and thesecond rail comprises: a bottom plate that attaches to the storage unit;a center frame having a head portion and a leg portion extendinglaterally from a sidewall of the head portion; and a top plate thatattaches to the bottom plate with the leg portion of the center framesandwiched therebetween, wherein the bottom plate and the top plate arewider than the leg portion of the center frame and in contact with thesidewall of the head portion.
 5. The seat storage assembly of claim 4,wherein each of the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot islocated laterally adjacent to the leg portion of the center frame andbetween the bottom plate and the top plate.
 6. The seat storage assemblyof claim 1, wherein the seating unit comprises: a horizontal portionmounted on the upper panel of the base and vertically supporting a userin a seating position; and a vertical portion connected to thehorizontal portion and laterally supporting a back of the user in theseating position.
 7. The seat storage assembly of claim 6, wherein theseating unit further comprises a reinforcement pattern formed on abottom surface of the horizontal portion, and wherein the upper panel ofthe base attaches to the reinforcement pattern.
 8. The seat storageassembly of claim 6, wherein the seating unit is foldable.
 9. The seatstorage assembly of claim 8, wherein the seating unit comprises a pivotjoint coupled between the horizontal portion and the vertical portion.10. The seat storage assembly of claim 1, wherein the base isheight-adjustable.
 11. A seat storage assembly comprising: a storageunit comprising a storage space for holding an item; a rail system thatattaches to the storage unit; and a seating unit that attaches to therail system.
 12. The seat storage assembly of claim 11, furthercomprising a base that attaches to the rail system, wherein the basecomprises: a lower panel coupled to the rail system; an upper panelcoupled to the seating unit; and a neck coupled between the lower paneland the upper panel, wherein the neck allows the upper panel to moveindependently from an orientation of the lower panel.
 13. The seatstorage assembly of claim 11, wherein the rail system comprises: a firstrail having a first sliding slot; and a second rail having a secondsliding slot and extending in parallel with the first rail.
 14. The seatstorage assembly of claim 11, wherein the seating unit is foldable. 15.The seat storage assembly of claim 12, wherein the base isheight-adjustable.
 16. A seat storage assembly, comprising: a storageunit that has a storage space and a lid; a rail system that attaches tothe lid of the storage unit, the rail system including a rail having asliding slot; and a base that engages the rail system.
 17. The seatstorage assembly of claim 16, wherein the rail attaches to the lid alonga longitudinal direction of the storage unit.
 18. The seat storageassembly of claim 16, further comprising a seating unit that attaches tothe base, wherein the seating unit comprises: a first portion thatsupports the user in a first direction in the seating position, and asecond portion that supports a back of the user in a second direction inthe seating position.
 19. The seat storage assembly of claim 16, whereinthe base is height-adjustable.
 20. The seat storage assembly of claim16, wherein the rail system comprises another rail that engages thebase.